The Forbidden Dance 1: The Return
by absinthefire
Summary: Julian is dead, but what if he was reborn...? This is a fic about what happens when things don't really go according to plan for anyone! FINISHED! STARTING THE SEQUEL
1. Part 1 The Return

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters or places, they are L.J Smith's and I hope that she will not sue me. This story is set a few weeks after the end of the Forbidden Game 3, and is part of a full sequel (that is if you guys like it). If you haven't read the last book, I would recommend that you do not read this as it contains spoilers from that book, which are necessary to this story. Also, although I have checked this story for typos, there may still be some, so excuse them please.  
  
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The Forbidden Dance 1 - The Return  
  
Chapter 1 - The Surprise  
  
It was late twilight, and Jenny was sitting in her bedroom looking out of her window at the slowly darkening sky. Everything lately had been reminding her of Julian, the devilishly handsome Shadow Man who had whisked her and her friends away to the shadow world to try to make Jenny his Queen. The sky at dawn turned the startling blue that was the exact colour of Julian's deep eyes, the whisper of the trees and the tinkling of the small stream near Jenny's house sounded like his elemental voice that could send shivers down your spine. Again and again Jenny saw the look in Julian's eyes in her mind as he died in her arms. He had asked her to dream him to a better place. Even in death, Jenny would honour her promise to Julian and she would dream him to a beautiful place. For the fist time since his death a few weeks ago, she was going to let herself dream about Julian. Jenny curled up on her bed, clutched the ring Julian had given her, and went to sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny was standing in the Shadow house. It was quiet, without any noises at all. She walked along the dark hallway she had scrambled down so long ago to get to the top of the house to free Tom. All of that seemed so distant and half remembered that she almost laughed. As the house creaked suddenly, she sobered and looked warily around, remembering in a flash the horrors that were in this house. As she approached the door that had contained the replica of Dee's room, it swung open slowly to reveal Jenny's room instead. Jenny approached cautiously. Peering inside, she saw that the room was just like her room in every detail, except that there was an old fashioned mirror that wasn't in her room that was nestling in the corner of her Shadow room, and it was glowing with a pulsing blue-white light. As she drew nearer, Jenny saw that the mirror had runes carved into the highly polished mahogany frame. As she looked with gradually widening eyes into the mirror, she saw a mass of swirling white mist on the other side of the glass. Without really knowing why, she placed her hand onto the glass, and as the slim circle of metal around her finger came into contact with the glass, another hand from inside the mirror closed around her own, and Julian stepped out of the mirror. He was just how she remembered him; shining hair the colour of moonlight falling over a face so perfect it seemed sculpted by a master sculptor, eyes that were penetrating and predatory and a body that was lithe and muscled. Jenny gasped involuntarily. As always, seeing Julian was a shock to the senses, and this was no exception. Julian said nothing, just holding onto her hand.  
  
~I thought I was supposed to dream him to a better place, ~ thought Jenny, slightly bewildered.  
  
~This is where I want to be~ said Julian in her mind. ~You set me free; I was trapped in the mirror, where all the Shadow men are trapped when their names are struck from the rune stave. ~  
  
Jenny felt peculiar. All of her emotions and feelings were saying she should be happy, but she knew there was something.. a reason why she couldn't be happy.she struggled to remember.  
  
Julian looked grave. ~Go back Jenny~ he whispered in her mind. ~You are needed there~.  
  
Jenny looked down at their intertwined hands, and before she let go, Julian kissed her softly on her lips and let her go. There was a blinding flash and Jenny threw up her hands to protect her eyes. When she lowered them again, she was in her room again, out of the Shadow world. She blinked and stared as Audrey tutted disapprovingly at the rumpled covers and the open curtains.  
  
"You've been doing it again haven't you, " said Audrey with a sniff.  
  
"Doing what, Audrey?" mumbled Jenny sleepily, rubbing her eyes with her hands. Audrey gave Jenny a Don't-pretend-to-not-know-what-I-mean look, and sat down on the bed.  
  
"Thinking about a certain good looking evil Shadow guy who kidnapped us all and tried to kill us, " she said, fluffing her bangs and arching an elegant eyebrow in Jenny's direction. Jenny sighed and started to protest but Audrey cut her off with uncharacteristic sharpness.  
  
"Don't try to say that you haven't, Jenny, it's obvious that you have. Just remember that you have a life to lead though, a boyfriend to love and friends to be with. Julian is dead, Jenny, and there is nothing you can do to bring him back, but don't sacrifice your life too."  
  
Audrey smoothed her skirt back to perfection and left the room without looking back. Jenny was amazed, and, after thinking about Audrey's words, sighed and dressed in a beautiful forest green top and a pair of tight-fitting black jeans that accentuated her slimness. She put on a pair of black sneakers, and after a moment of thinking, took off the ring that Julian had given her. She kissed it, left it on her bed and went to join her friends downstairs. As she went down, all of the gang looked up as she entered her living room. Jenny looked around, surprised that they were all staring at her.  
  
"What?" she said, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny. Still they all stared at her. Then Dee spoke.  
  
"Jenny, " she said, gesticulating gracefully with her athletic arms, "we know how difficult things have been since.well.since the whole Shadow Game thing. But, we think." she paused, a grim expression on her face, "it's time for a HOLIDAY!!!" All the gang cheered and waved their cans of coke around. Jenny smiled with relief that it wasn't anything serious, and everybody cheered some more. Michael's sarcastic spaniel eyes were glittering with mirth, and he said to Jenny, " I won a holiday to Deutschland!" showing off the German he had learnt from Audrey. Even the normally cool and calm Zach was looking mildly excited, and the bubbly Summer was virtually bouncing up and down next to him. Zach's eyes softened a bit as he looked at Summer, and Jenny felt a twinge of surprise that her cousin obviously felt for her friend. "Well, Thorny?" asked Tom, giving a rakish grin. "We sorted it all out, and the rest of us are pretty much sorted, the parents seem to think that after our 'mass hallucinations' we need to have some rest and relaxation!" He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her once, a trademark Tom thing to do. Jenny couldn't help wishing for the moment that it was Julian's arm around her instead. Horrified, she crammed the thought straight to the back of her mind and swallowed nervously. These were her friends, and they had obviously made an effort to cheer her up and Michael had won a holiday for them all to go on. She looked round at all the faces looking at her, waiting for her to say that she would go. There was Zach's solemn one, Summer's eager one, Audrey's calm one, Michael's grinning one, Dee's cheerful one, and Tom's patient one. How could she say no to them after they had gone to so much trouble? "Yeah, ok, this is great!" she said, mustering as much enthusiasm as she could. "I don't know what my parents will say though," she said after a moment. "Please, Jenny, " said Dee, "we sorted all this already. We were just waiting for you." Jenny smiled, the infectiously happy mood of her friends affecting her at last, all thoughts of Julian pushed away for later. It was time to get on with her life.at least for the moment, anyway. She left the house with the gang and felt happier than she had done for ages.  
  
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In the upstairs bedroom of a pretty ranch-style house on Mariposa Street, a small ring with the inscription "I am my only master" on it lay innocently on a blue patterned duvet on the bed. Suddenly it started to glow, and within seconds, a gorgeous boy appeared next to the ring. He looked around the room, then at himself, and wondered who and where he was. Instead of looking hungry and dangerous, his eyes were confused and bewildered. Julian was back.  
  
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Right then people, if you liked it then please tell me, and if not, tell me why. It's the first chapter of a few to come, so feel free to tell me any constructive criticism. This is my first fanfic so I don't know if I'm doing it right or not. Chapter 2 will be soon, but it would be nice to have a review. 


	2. Part 2 The Game

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters; they all belong to L.J Smith.  
  
Also some points; thank you very much for the review ArchAngel, and I would like to point out that before anybody else says it, that Jenny's house does not in fact have an upstairs, I was wrong * blushes ashamedly* and I have decided now that Jenny had an upstairs added. (It's my fan fiction so I now own the new upstairs of Jenny's house). Just kidding, I don't own anything so don't sue me. If you like this, please review, any suggestions are welcome.  
  
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Chapter 2 - The Game Begins  
  
Julian stared around at the sun filled streets. He had let himself quietly out of Jenny's house, taking with him only a slim ring with the inscription "I am my only master" inside. Julian did not know why he was there or how he had got there. He had no idea why he had taken the ring, but it reminded him of something. Out of the house, the sensation of walking out in the sunlight where people could see him felt wrong to Julian, and he had to keep resisting a strong urge to hide in the shadows. Girls walking past him gave him startled yet appreciative looks, as he appeared to them a predatory stranger cloaked in mystery and danger. Clothed all in black with hair like moonbeams and with electric blue eyes, he was no ordinary guy. Julian had no idea of where he was going or what he was going to do, but in the complete blank white emptiness of his memory, one word was imprinted there. Jenny.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny and her friends were at a virtual game arcade. They were all playing a virtual game, in which the aim was to shoot anyone who came out of the mist at you. Jenny had been apprehensive, as Julian could easily have manipulated the game to his own ends, but Tom had looked at her with those eyes that he knew could melt her will, and she had, albeit reluctantly, agreed. As she prowled through the game, a confusing, twisting maze, she held the gun close, pointing away from her. She stole through the swirling mist and kept close to the wall. Even though it was virtual reality, she could feel the roughness of it, and she could hear the dripping of water against a stone floor. Jenny shivered. It felt cold, although that was probably her imagination. Ahead of her, she heard a startled yell that sounded like Michael. She jumped, and then caught herself. Stupid Jenny, she told herself, get a grip. To her left, she heard a slight rustle, and ducked instinctively. A virtual bullet shot past her head, and she looked over the short wall to see who had shot at her. It was Zach. She pouted at him, and then shot at him. He dodged easily, smiling challengingly at her. Zach laughed and sauntered off down another passage to find someone else to shoot at. Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. There were five lives in this game, and she'd already lost two, one to Dee, who was loving this game and had shot her in the name of the game, and one to Summer, who had appeared harmless as usual, and had then shot Jenny. Jenny smiled grimly in remembrance, and massaged her stomach where the virtual bullet had hit. The bullet had actually hurt, and the area still stung where she had been hit. Jenny didn't know enough about computer and virtual games to know if that was normal. With the Shadow Games still in her mind, Jenny didn't really trust the virtual reality surrounding her. Audrey would be hating this, she thought to herself, she didn't go for games like this and it would probably mess up her clothes. As she grinned to herself at this, she felt a gun being pressed into her back.  
  
"Don't turn around, " a low voice growled. "Give me the gun."  
  
Jenny laughed. Tommy, she thought, that is so like him.  
  
"Tommy," she said, "I knew you'd do something like this!" Laughing, Jenny turned around to hug Tom, but was shoved roughly back to face the wall.  
  
"I said don't turn around!" the voice said angrily. "Give me the gun!"  
  
A cold feeling swept over Jenny, and her heart began to beat faster. Jenny dropped the gun on the floor for the mysterious person to get. She tried to see out of the corner of her eye who it was as they bent to get the gun, but she felt a blow at the back of her head, and her senses reeled. I shouldn't be able to feel this, she thought, panicking. All went black, and Jenny slumped to the floor. The malicious stranger shot Jenny twice with the guns and ran off down the passage.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny awoke to a throbbing headache, but still in the virtual reality game. Anxious and almost crying, she set off down the passages to find her friends, but to no avail. She wandered around, screaming their names until her voice gave out, but no answer came. Tired and upset, she sat down against the wall and fell asleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny was dressed in a long flowing white gown and had a tiara in her hair. At her side stood Julian. Jenny looked down at the ring on her finger, but found that it was gone. With a flash of remembrance, she saw a flashback of the morning, the ring she had left on her bed. Looking up at Julian, she saw only a hazy form.  
  
~Where are you going? ~ She asked, worried that he was going to leave her alone again.  
  
Julian just stared at her, as though he was trying to remember who she was.  
  
~Julian? ~ She asked.  
  
Julian studied her for a moment, then asked,  
  
~ Are you Jenny? ~  
  
Jenny was shocked. She stared at Julian, her puzzled green eyes seeking his. A slow smile spread across his face, and he hugged her. She must be Jenny, he thought to himself. She looks so familiar, and the name suits her picture. He took her hand and looked earnestly at her.  
  
~You are Jenny, aren't you, ~ he stated.  
  
She nodded wordlessly, questions waiting to spill out of her lips. He put a finger to his mouth and then said softly,  
  
~ I have no memories of anything, a life, a home, only your name. Will you tell me who I am, and why you are the one thing I can remember out of anything? ~  
  
Jenny took a deep breath, and, still in shock, started to tell Julian the story of a Shadow Man and a game.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny's friends stood next to her motionless form in the arcade. She was the only one of them still in the virtual game, and nothing they had done had got her out. She still had one life left in the game, and she wouldn't be released until the life had disappeared, and to make matters worse, the game had crashed, with Jenny inside it.  
  
"Why can't we just pull off the helmet?" asked an impatient Summer. Tom and Zach looked worried, and Dee replied, "Summer, honey, if we do that we might hurt Jenny, her mind is in the game."  
  
All of them were starting to worry, as the Shadow Games had been a lot like this. For a while, none of them spoke. Zach brooded, Tom frowned, Audrey worried, Dee was troubled and then Summer screamed. Everybody looked up, startled. In front of them was Julian. He spoke before anybody else had the chance to.  
  
"Don't scream, fight, talk or do anything other than listen, " he said urgently. " Jenny is in deep trouble and we have to get her back. The Shadow Men have taken her, and they are going to kill her."  
  
The gang looked at each other, and before any of them could ask the obvious questions, "How can we trust you?" and "How did you get back?" Julian held out his hand. In it was Jenny's ring, the one she never removed. He spoke quickly and precisely, saying only what was necessary. "Jenny's ring brought me back, " he began, pausing to look around, "I had amnesia, but Jenny told me some of what I've done to you all." Julian looked grim.  
  
"The ring helped me find Jenny and it drew me here. Her astral self is in the Shadow World though, and although I didn't do it, it is my fault that she is there. She brought me back, you see, and even unknowing, in the Shadow World the law is a life for a life, and they want Jenny's life because she gave me mine back."  
  
Julian looked around again at Jenny's friends, and saw the ranging emotions in their faces, from disbelief to anger. Tom had been seething that this.this monster whom had endangered his precious Jenny's life launched himself at Julian, expecting to be thrown back from a shield, but he contacted with Julian's muscled body and knocked him to the ground. Julian, with amazing reflexes, stopped all the attacks from Tom, but still did not blast him with a nightmare or some horror. Tom stopped, and narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "Why haven't you used your 'powers' on me?" He asked, staring at Julian. A strange suspicion was brewing in his mind.  
  
Julian looked at him out of calm eyes. "I have no 'powers'. I'm human as much as you are, Tom."  
  
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Well that's the next chapter! Like I said, please review, any comments are welcome, if you love it or you hate it, tell me why, and what I can do to improve it. If you want another chapter, say! 


	3. Part 3 Trials and Troblins

Disclaimer: I own no characters, places or anything that has L.J. Smith's name on it. I own maybe the upstairs of Jenny's house, the mirror and a brand new character ;).  
  
Author's Note: Thank you very much for the reviews, they make me very happy. This next chapter is written in haste for Shadow.  
  
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Chapter 3 - Trials and Troblins  
  
Jenny was alone. No longer inside the arcade game, she had been transported back to her least favourite place in the world, the Shadow House. Sat in the parlour on the floor, she had had plenty of opportunity to reflect on the last time she had been there. When she had first seen Julian for what he was, where Tom had faced the imaginary rats, where the Game had begun. It was exactly as she remembered it, although Julian wasn't there. A door slammed somewhere upstairs in the house, and footsteps were heard coming closer. Jenny looked around for a weapon, but none came to hand. There was no way out of the parlour other than the door to the house, and Jenny didn't really want to go outside into the real Shadow World. The door opened and a figure stepped inside.  
  
"Hello Jenny," said a sweet voice that reminded Jenny of ice cream. "I believe we have quite a lot to talk about. Let's start with.Julian." A tinkling laugh like small bells ensued.  
  
Jenny hadn't heard a word of what had been said. Instead she was staring in a numb fascination at the beautiful Shadow Girl stood before her. She was the exact image of Jenny.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Dee snorted. Human? Not likely. It was bound to be another trap, but still, he had the ring. It could be a different ring though.  
  
"It's not a different ring, it's Jenny's, " said Julian suddenly. Everyone stared at him. Dee's eyes widened. "What?" he asked. Dee glanced around and said loudly, "Nobody said anything, Julian, you just read my mind. What were you saying about not having powers?"  
  
Julian stared at her. He looked around at the others and tried to read their minds. Nothing happened.  
  
"If I can read minds, then why can't I read anybody else's?" he asked. Tom rolled his eyes. God, he thought, this is really going to be interesting. We're supposed to be saving Jenny and all Julian wants to do is play mind games. Julian glared at him and venom seemed to pour out of his gaze right through Tom. Tom said nothing, but secretly decided that when this was all over, he was going to beat the hell out of this damn Shadow guy. Julian smirked and said loudly, "I don't think you could ever take me, Tom." His heavy lidded eyes showed barely-hidden amusement. Tom scowled and started pacing the room. Summer butted in suddenly, much to everybody's surprise.  
  
"Don't fight now, we have to save Jenny, " she said determinedly. "Jenny tried to save me before, now we have to save her from the evil Shadow Men." Audrey nodded wordlessly, and Michael put his arm around her.  
  
"Come on people, " he said quietly. "Let's do this together and be done with it."  
  
All around the group, people were nodding slowly. "How do we get into the Shadow World?" asked Zach. "We go back into the arcade game and get to the end of the maze. There's a gate there with runes on it, my astral self was talking to Jenny when these people in hooded cloaks came and took her through it. I couldn't do anything in my astral form, " Julian added, almost to himself. "Be careful with your lives in the game, if they run out, you die in real life. " Dee nodded and briskly shepherded the gang into the virtual reality clothing again. When they were all sorted, including Julian, she strapped the equipment onto herself, and followed them into the misty darkness.  
  
"Stick together," Julian warned. "We all have to get through the gate, and I am the only person who knows how to operate the runes. We're a big group, and an easy target, but we have to get through this in a group so be careful, keep all your senses open. Some Shadow Creatures may be here, and because I'm not a Shadow Man any more, I can't control them."  
  
All of them nodded silently and continued through the shrouding mist.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny looked at the 'evil' mirror image of her and stared. "Something the matter?" giggled her evil self. Something about the way she acted and spoke told Jenny that her evil twin wasn't exactly sane. She licked her dry lips and said hoarsely, "What do you want from me?" Jenny's evil twin looked at her hard, and a cruel expression flitted over her face.  
  
"Haven't you been listening???" she said in a musical but exasperated tone. "I want to know why and how you brought your adoring slave the ex-Shadow Man back!"  
  
Jenny shifted on the hard and unyielding floor.  
  
"I don't know how I did it, " she murmured nervously.  
  
Jenny couldn't help but remember how cruel Julian could be, but he had a streak of goodness in him that had tempered out the badness. She could guarantee that Jenny 2 didn't have a good intention in her whole being. The evil Jenny laughed.  
  
"Jenny 2? The evil twin? I have a name you know." She smirked at Jenny.  
  
"What is your name then?" said Jenny, beginning to get angry that her thoughts were being invaded. She clenched her fists.  
  
"Careful, Jenny," said the Shadow Girl. Julian's phrase coming from her evil twin was almost more than Jenny could take. The Shadow Girl's piercing blue eyes narrowed. They were the only difference between the real Jenny and the Shadow Jenny.  
  
"You can call me." The Shadow Girl thought for a moment. ".Juliana." She smirked. "I find that fitting," she murmured. Jenny was seething. Her evil twin had taken the name of Jenny's lover and had already tainted it. Jenny got up off the thin carpet and flexed her fingers. She watched the amused expression on Juliana's face and gritted her teeth.  
  
"Careful, Jenny," said Juliana again, in a voice laden with menace and danger. Before Jenny could move, however, there was a knock at the door and in walked a Shadow Creature - some sort of goblin or troll, Jenny thought. Without looking at Jenny or at anything else, the troblin walked over to Juliana and handed her a piece of black paper. Juliana read the paper and within seconds was raging about the cost of slaves. The troblin looked unperturbed and gestured at the paper whilst talking rapidly in a language unfamiliar to Jenny. Juliana looked furious, and flicked a finger towards the troblin, sending it flying across the room to land next to where Jenny had sat moments before. It picked itself up and brushed down its ugly uniform. After waddling across the room to Juliana, it started to gesticulate again at the crumpled paper. Juliana just waved contemptuously at the troblin and after tracing a graceful rune shape with a slim finger, watched it burn instantaneously and vanish. The troblin sighed and walked back outside, but before it had got out completely, Juliana flicked the door shut with a sweeping hand motion, and the troblin was scooted out into the hall. Juliana laughed a girlish laugh of delight, and jumped up and down like a child. In a second, she was solemn again, and turned to face Jenny.  
  
"So where were we? "  
  
Jenny shuddered and looked away from the insane Shadow Girl. Juliana glared at Jenny, and within seconds, Jenny screamed at the pain running through her entire body. Unlike any other pain, it did not ripple in waves, but flowed steadily in a stream through her. Juliana smiled, and the pain stopped. Breathless and sore, Jenny looked fearfully at Juliana.  
  
"Sorry, didn't quite catch that," said Juliana sweetly. "Where were we?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
The group had stumbled along countless different passages and they were all weary and tired. So far, they had encountered the Creeper and the Lurker, Julian's old acquaintances, and they had responded to him slightly when he had tried to command them, but not as much as they had liked. However, in the middle of the confrontation, the snake and the wolf had suddenly vanished, and all of the group were feeling wary and edgy through looking behind them. If we ever get through this, thought Audrey grimly, I am going to have one of the worst cases of paranoia in America! Suddenly, Julian stopped still in the dark, and Summer and Zach bumped into him. OWWWW thought Summer, as Zach stood on her foot. She glared at him, but in the darkness he couldn't see her, and she couldn't say anything because everyone was supposed to be silent. Peering in front of Julian, she could see why he had stopped. Directly in front of them was a beautiful gate, shimmering and golden, etched all over with intricate runes, but in the center of the gate was the rune Uruz, shaped like an upturned 'U' and with one point longer than the other. It was stained with a rusty red substance that was probably some poor troblin's blood. Taking a deep breath, Julian invoked the rune and stepped back. The group held it's collective breath and stared past the open gate.  
  
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Right there's the next chapter people! If you want another chapter, tell me what you would like to see happen, I already have a vague plot but I am open to any suggestions on what you want. I need a review please before I do the next one. 


	4. Part 4 In Juliana's World

Disclaimer: I own nothing of L. J. Smith's; I own only Juliana and anything else I invent.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews, I live off them!  
  
Lizzie - my friend from school, stop trying to spoil the suspense and predict the plot!  
  
Shadow - again, thanks for reviewing; I think that maybe some more troblins will make guest appearances.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
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Chapter 4 - The Shadow World  
  
Julian stepped forward into the Shadow realm, followed closely by the rest of the group. A putrid, dense smoke hung over the whole room, so it was hard to tell where they had emerged. Dee wrinkled her nose, and most of the others covered their noses and mouths to avoid the terrible stench, wafting their arms around to try and dispel some of it. The smoke cleared rapidly and seemed to almost magically disappear, leaving the room clear. They were in Jenny's grandfather's basement in the Shadow House, having just stepped out of the closet, which no longer had the rune Nauthiz on the door, but the rune Uruz again. The room was just how they all remembered it; the bookcases with protection charms and bracelets, etc. on them, the many strange books and papers Jenny's grandfather had kept about Julian and the other Shadow Men. Tom flashed a quick glance at Julian, and found his expression unreadable. What would it be like, thought Tom to himself, to go back to your own creation and find it as horrible as everybody else does? Julian was, in fact, remembering his whole life, as walking into the Shadow World again had overthrown his amnesia, and he was surprised to learn things about himself that he knew before, but they were more precious now. Julian smiled to himself. The fact that his favourite flavour of ice cream was chocolate, and his favourite outfit was that of the Erlking. He wondered how long it had been since he had thought about his life and not taken it for granted. He was human now, and he would have to savour every moment, as each could be his last. Deep in his thoughts as he was, he belatedly heard the gasps of the others as they witnessed Juliana appear, with an aura of darkness enveloping her. Tom looked up as well, startled out of his thoughts. Juliana smiled a cruel smile and laughed at the puny 'knights' that had come to save the precious princess Jenny from the evil sorceror, or in this case, sorceress. Julian stared at the Jenny-look-a-like and said to her coldly,  
  
"Where's the real Jenny?"  
  
Juliana frowned. "It is me, Julian, it's Jenny."  
  
Julian bared his teeth in a feral grin. "You heard me; where is she?"  
  
Juliana laughed again and looked around all the assembled faces.  
  
"Seeing as you probably all guessed straight away I'm not the 'real' Jenny, I think we should be introduced properly, don't you?" Juliana smirked at Michael, who was looking uncomfortable, and walked over gracefully to Julian.  
  
"I am Juliana."  
  
Julian's expression was grim. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. Juliana winked at him seductively and ran a hand down his cheek, feeling the smoothness of his skin. Julian, with his extraordinary reflexes, went to smack her hands away, but Juliana was even faster. She winked at him, and said in a simpering tone to the rest of them standing there silently, "It's Game time, people. You know the rules, it's a game you've all played before." Juliana had a triumphant and predatory look on her face. "Bye bye," she caroled, flicking a finger in the general direction of the assembled friends. Audrey and Dee opened their mouths to say something to Juliana, but in an instant they had vanished, along with Zach, Summer, Tom and Michael. Julian sighed and looked at Juliana, who was watching him coyly.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked quietly. Juliana looked at him and gave a scornful laugh.  
  
"I have everything I could possibly want here, Julian," she said calmly. "I don't want anything else."  
  
Julian studied the innocent looking Juliana and wanted to rip her limb from limb for tainting his Jenny's face and personality with her poisoned mind. Juliana looked angry at that, he thought with a grim satisfaction. Good. Juliana recovered seconds later, as she said to him sweetly,  
  
"Julian, you need me to find Jenny."  
  
Julian stared at her with a look that could probably kill an elephant.  
  
"Why did you bring her here, Juliana? What do you want from us?"  
  
Another predatory smile decorated the blood red lips.  
  
"Not 'us' Julian. You. I want you." Juliana paused delicately and continued, "I am what you would call probably a shallow person; I care about the amount of power I can get out of the Shadow Elders to further my own. You are the reason I kidnapped Jenny, you have the secrets to have absolute power."  
  
Julian said nothing about the fact that Juliana knew he used to be a Shadow Man; it was probably common news here. And now I'm back, he thought wryly. I bet you didn't see that one coming did you? Juliana smiled at him again.  
  
"That's why I want you Julian; you were one of the best Shadow Men ever, even though you were only young. I was created to take your place, but you have yourself a reputation for being the best, and I can't beat that without your help. I need the power that I will receive if I outrank your reputation, so to speak. You do this small favour for me, and I'm sure we can come to an arrangement that will suit everyone."  
  
Juliana sat down on the lump sofa and grinned mischievously.  
  
"Or we could just." she said, patting the seat next to her and winking. Julian stayed where he was, his face bleak and stony.  
  
"I don't think so," Julian said in a voice filled with menace. "I love Jenny; I would do anything for her. I don't love you, even though you have tried to steal her identity. I don't care about the others; they don't concern me. If you have hurt Jenny, I will rip you apart with my bare hands."  
  
Juliana looked amused.  
  
"I would like to see you try that," she said. "You are a mere mortal; I have all the powers of the Shadow World behind me. If you join me, I will see to it that you can have your powers back too."  
  
Julian kept his face an impassive mask, but inside his thoughts were whirling. He hated this human body, and he wanted his powers back, it was true. But here in this world, the rule was 'a life for a life', and he could guess at who would die by Juliana's hand to give him a meager amount of power. That is if she even decides to give it to me, he thought to himself, flicking a glance towards her from under his dark lashes. She was a Shadow Girl, a better liar than most, so anything she said was probably not to be taken to heart, he mused. Julian decided he was going to go along with Juliana for a while, to see if he could free Jenny in any way.  
  
"Ok," he said in a sombre tone. "I'll do it."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Author's Note: This chapter isn't as long as the others, but I thought that I should really explain what I mean to everybody else who isn't in my head and who probably don't know what I mean. This is pretty boring as a chapter, but the explaining needed to be done. I promise a better chapter next time, so please r & r and tell me any comments! 


	5. Part 5 The Forbidden Dance

Disclaimer: I own.absolutely nothing of L.J Smith's, only Juliana and the troblins, and anybody else I feel like inventing in the process.  
  
Alex - the troblins are very stranger unfriendly and they would probably rip you apart unless you have powers like Juliana.  
  
Farah - enough said.  
  
Shadow - thanks again for the review, always appreciated, I'm hoping this chapter will be more to your taste.  
  
Lizzie - I know Tom should die, but it's a bit mean to kill him off at this moment in time, maybe I will in the future, you never know.  
  
Author's Note: I am in the middle of a story and so I have lost a lot of my inspiration at the moment, so if this chapter is really bad, please tell me so that I can lay off writing this story until I can get out a better brain and finish writing it, that is if it's any good, and you want me to continue it. I'm thinking maybe I should just give up on this story. Any comments on this would be appreciated, as I generally do this when I'm in the middle of a story and I ruin it by writing something that I don't really like for the latter half.  
  
Wow I wrote an essay about me, that's scary. Here's the next chapter for you guys!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter 5 - The Forbidden Dance  
  
Jenny was sat down on the soft bed in her room in the Shadow World, exhausted after trying to escape. Her whole body was covered in bruises and sores from where Juliana had cast her unholy magic. She looked into the Shadow mirror she had dreamed about only the night before though it seemed much longer in the Shadow World where the passing of time was not marked by day and night. She rubbed the bare spot on her finger where Julian's ring usually sat, and wished he was there with her. The door swung open suddenly, banging against the wall. Jenny jumped, and for a wild moment thought it might be Julian. Stood there instead was a bored looking troblin, carrying a tray of food. Jenny stared at it, watching it's stumpy movements across the room. Looking indifferently at her, the troblin dumped the tray on her desk and turned to leave. Jenny spoke unexpectedly, her voice cracked and hoarse.  
  
"Where is Juliana?" She twisted the covers around her fingers as she spoke, fidgeting nervously.  
  
The troblin looked down in a superior manner at Jenny (even though it was only four feet tall) and said imperiously,  
  
"Juliana is currently entertaining some guests. I'm sure she will be here shortly."  
  
The troblin had broken into an evil grin at the latter comment, obviously pleased with it's own sadisticness thought Jenny. Sadisticness? That's not even a word thought Jenny. This forced a tired snort out of her, and the troblin raised what passed for an eyebrow in a grotesque parody of what Audrey had done that morning. Jenny feigned disinterest and looked away from the troblin still hovering in her room. A few seconds later she was rewarded by the slam of her door. After going to her desk and examining the contents of her tray, Jenny went back over to the bed and fell asleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Julian heard a door slam somewhere else in the house, but he was too busy dealing with Juliana to notice it properly. Juliana reached out a perfectly manicured hand to Julian, and gestured gracefully for him to sit next to her. His jaw set, he sat next to her with the grace he had possessed when he was a Shadow Man. She flashed him a seductive smile, and edged closer to him. Her intoxicating perfume wafted over Julian, and he had trouble clearing his head.  
  
"I'm glad you're seeing things my way Julian," she said in a satisfied tone. "We can go far together."  
  
Julian looked Juliana in the eye and said in a dangerous tone,  
  
"The only reason I'm anywhere near to you at the moment is because you have Jenny. I am not here for your pleasure or any games that you want to play," said Julian, with emphasis on 'games'.  
  
Juliana laughed in a throaty, sexy way that sounded so like he used to dream about Jenny watched her that he gave an imperceptible start and caught himself. Juliana's eyes, so like his, bored into his and she leant forward in a flash and kissed him, her soft red lips brushing his in an instant. Before he could react, she vanished completely. Julian had to keep reminding himself that she wasn't Jenny; she was a demon. Not Jenny, she's a demon; not Jenny, she's a demon, he kept repeating to himself like a chant. The way her lips had felt, combined with the fact that she looked like Jenny from every point of view was temptation in the flesh. He almost laughed aloud at this, because this was the exact thing that Jenny had thought about him when he was a Shadow Man. Julian rose fluidly for the sofa and exited the room swiftly in hope of finding Jenny. The house was the same as when he first created it, but it had a definite feminine atmosphere, maybe it was something in the smell of it, thought Julian. Looking into the tower room, the More Games store was still there, and the clock was ticking loudly in the deserted room. Julian continued silently throughout the house to try and find Jenny, when he remembered Jenny's friends. She would never forgive him if he let anything happen to them, especially dear Tommy. Julian almost spat when he thought about Tom. That arrogant swine, always assuming that Jenny would follow him docilely everywhere. He still wanted to kill Tom for making Jenny unhappy after the Games. On the lookout for Jenny's friends, Julian had no idea that he was being watched closely by Juliana to make sure that he didn't get anywhere near the bait (Jenny) or her dumbass friends. As he began to draw closer to the room that Jenny's friends were closeted in, Juliana materialized dramatically in front of him, giggling evilly. Julian stopped before he walked into her, and leant against the wallpaper in the corridor, his smooth muscles and lithe body making no sound. Julian tried to ignore the fact that Juliana was wearing a beautiful white floor-length dress that clung to every curve and sparkled with millions of stars in the dim lamplight.  
  
"What now, Juliana?" asked Julian in a voice heavy with sarcasm. "Did you break a nail?"  
  
Juliana frowned for a split second and then turned away from him.  
  
"Every time you hurt me, you'll hurt Jenny," she said quietly. "Be very careful with your temper, Julian."  
  
Julian scowled darkly, looking predatorial and lethal. Juliana looked unperturbed, and she walked up to him silently, her long gauze sleeves wafting in the gentle breeze. She held out her hand, and Julian had no other choice but to take it. As he touched her, a door appeared in the wall and opened in front of them. Juliana clicked her fingers and Julian was dressed in an immaculate tux, looking very handsome. Together they entered through the door to an enormous ballroom, decorated ornately with scrolls and delicate carved flowers. The ceiling started raining red rose petals around them.  
  
"What's going on, Juliana?" demanded Julian angrily.  
  
Juliana stretched up onto tiptoe and whispered to Julian,  
  
"We're going to dance, Julian. I know how much you like to dance."  
  
Julian did not pause to fathom how she knew, but drew back instantly from Juliana.  
  
"What's the real reason Juliana?" he asked, his voice echoing around the otherwise empty ballroom. He knew that Juliana was trying to seduce him, but he couldn't think why she was doing this, other than to play with his heart. Juliana just watched him, rose petals falling on her like drops of blood. Drops of Jenny's blood. She said nothing, but waved her hand in the air. Slow music began to play, and she swept over the now soft red floor and began to dance with him. Julian let the music take him, and in his mind he was dancing with Jenny.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny woke with a start as she realised the whole room was glowing blue. She looked automatically for the source of the light, all sleep banished. Her eyes fell upon the mirror, the same mirror she had dreamed when she freed Julian, and she saw into it. Instead of the white, swirling objects she had seen before, Jenny saw something in the mirror that struck her heart and twisted into it like a knife of ice.  
  
Juliana and Julian were dancing together in a ballroom. Jenny would have been thrilled to see him, but Julian had his eyes shut, and looked happy and dreamy dancing with her. Juliana looked smug and very sexy in a white prom dress that was shimmering in the light. Jenny felt a rage inside her that was ice cold and boiling hot at the same time, and her fists clenched in the covers. You bitch, thought Jenny furiously.  
  
I am going to kill you.  
  
Jenny got out of her bed and went to the door. It was open. She went out into the hallway, adrenaline flooding her body as she made her way down the corridor towards where slow music was echoing down the whole corridor. An open door cast a rectangular box of light into the dark hallway, illuminating the drab wallpaper. Jenny padded barefoot down the hall until she arrived at the ballroom. She stood in the middle of the doorway, looking inside. In the center of the room, Juliana and Julian were dancing very close together. Jenny's eyes burned and hot tears began to trickle down her face. Juliana drew back slightly and kissed Julian. Julian was lost in his imagination that she was Jenny, and he kissed her passionately. Juliana smirked and looked at Jenny. Julian turned to look and saw Jenny. His face instantly registered shock and guilt. Jenny's heart felt like it had torn in two. All her anger gone, she melted back into the shadows and went back to her room, the tears flowing in rivulets down her face. Juliana smirked.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Well isn't she a bitch! I like this chapter, so if you guys like it too, you know what to do, R & R please! 


	6. Part 6 All is Revealed

Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the stuff I created like the troblins. The purple ones are copyrighted :P sorry Alex, maybe I can give one to you and it will be a loving pet. Yeah.  
  
Author's Note: Shadow, a constant source of pleasure for me, when I look at my reviews and see yours again, I get a little warm glow of excitement, (sad I know, I have no life) so thank you again, I am continuing the story, even though it is probably just you who reads it (scary thought for both of us). Sorry about the delay in updating, I have had a pretty bad case of writer's block; so forgive me for being so late.  
  
Here ya go! * * * * *  
  
Chapter 6 - All is Revealed  
  
Julian shoved Juliana away with all of his strength. She just stepped away from him, laughing gleefully at his frustration. He gritted his teeth for what felt like the thousandth time and stalked after her, his anger absolute. She just smirked cruelly at him and vanished. Julian ran out of the room, rose petals still falling on his face like a lover's touch, a reminder of what had happened. He felt as though he had been awakened from a deep sleep, and he was horrified to discover that his nightmare was real; Jenny had seen him and Juliana kissing and she thought that he felt for Juliana. Julian looked around and stopped. The hallway was extending in both directions, and he remembered enough from being a Shadow Man that it was one of the easiest things to do in the Shadow World, to manipulate distance so that it appeared to the viewer as a never-ending passage. Julian thumped the wall angrily and rested his head against the dark wallpaper. He didn't love Juliana, of that he was certain. He loved Jenny because of her goodness, and Juliana was...well...bad. He could never love her because of the poisonous mind that lay behind the innocent face. Julian's world was crumbling around him; Jenny didn't know the truth and he had hurt her. He had actually hurt Jenny, his beloved angel. He wanted to apologise over and over again, and a strong part of him felt like he should be feeling the same pain that she felt. His grief at Juliana's tricks turned to an anger at her that burned from the depths of his very soul. Even as a Shadow Man, any anger he could have felt would in no way compare to the fury he wanted to pour over Juliana and smother her with. Even before he raised his head from the wall, he knew Juliana would be standing there. Clad all in black and looking wild and dangerous, she managed to look carefree and casual at the same time.  
  
A guttural growling erupted from his throat, and all Julian wanted to do was to rip out her throat right there and then. He stayed put; Julian knew that Juliana was in control of this situation and he would just be humiliated again.  
  
Juliana smiled a chilling smile at him, and in that smile was the knowledge that she utterly controlled his fate and Jenny's.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny huddled on her bed, her tears gone but the shocked disbelief had remained with her. After all the pain had faded into numbness, a strength she didn't know she even possessed began to flow into every part of her body, giving her a new outlook on her current situation. If Julian wasn't going to rescue her from the evil Bitch Queen, she was going to damn well get out herself.  
  
With this thought in her head, Jenny examined all of the room, leaving out the windows as for one thing they wouldn't open, and Jenny remembered from last time the horrifying icescape she had witnessed outside the parlour window. The door to her room was not locked, as Juliana must have unlocked it so that she, Jenny, could 'burst in' on their little cosy ballroom scene. Juliana must have forgotten to lock it again afterwards. Jenny smiled a secret smile, and went to try and find where her escape route was.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Dee, Audrey and Summer were huddled together for warmth in the cold air of the Shadow amusement park where they had all been trapped for the final time with Julian. Tom and Zach were watching warily for any Shadow Men or creatures, and Michael was complaining in a loud voice about anything he could think about.  
  
"It's too cold," he moaned, rubbing his bare arms. "I should have brought a jumper."  
  
Audrey gave him an exasperated glare from under her lightly frosted hair. "Michael," she began in a tone that made everyone shift uneasily. "Stop complaining. We all are cold, hungry, tired and scared. You are making it worse by complaining."  
  
She glared at him again, and stirred restlessly on the rusty iron bench. Dee looked at her, expecting a comment about rust on her expensive clothes, but Audrey was unusually quiet. Summer looked around and said softly,  
  
"I wonder how Jenny's doing."  
  
Tom's jaw clenched and he said through gritted teeth,  
  
"I'm sure she's doing fine, Summer."  
  
Everyone looked at him, and nobody voiced the negative opinion that they all held. Juliana was too powerful for Jenny to cross, and they all knew it. Zach's grey eyes misted over as he thought of Jenny going insane in the Shadow house, as he once felt he had.  
  
"At least she's got Julian," said Dee quietly.  
  
This was such an unexpected comment from Dee that Audrey gasped involuntarily. It was a well-known fact that Dee thought all men were lying rats, and Audrey stared at Dee as if she had grown another head. Dee watched all this in silent amusement, and then said aloud,  
  
"Julian being there is better than our girl being in there all by herself, people. You know it's true. Even though I don't like him, she's still better off facing the bitch with backup."  
  
Tom looked so tense that it looked to all the gang as though he would snap, like a bowstring pulled too tight. Michael nudged Dee to stop her saying any more, and nodded discreetly towards Tom. Dee looked down at the ground, as did most of the others. The last thing they wanted in a hostile world was too fight amongst themselves, when there were plenty of things that they had to face and fight. Looking unabashed, Dee jumped to her feet with no less than her usual grace, even in the cold.  
  
"I think it's my turn for monster watch now."  
  
Tom gave no indication that he'd heard her, or even cared. Zach, however, nodded at her, and went from his post to sit next to Summer, putting his arm around her. If Jenny had been there, she would have smiled to herself and thought how Zach, the guy who liked cameras better than people, was falling in love.  
  
Dee went to stand at Zach's vacated post, and she stared out at the bleak darkness, not really seeing the creepy trees and the broken down rides, but thinking deeply. The others sat hunched up against the chilling wind, and waited in an uncomfortable silence.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Julian's beautiful blue eyes were narrowed in dislike at Juliana, and he listened to her terms with barely concealed anger. She wanted him to teach her all the secrets of the Shadow World, power and cruelty especially. Julian had realised he had one advantage over Juliana; she couldn't read his mind, on account he had been a Shadow Man, and Shadow People cannot tell what the others are thinking. However, Juliana had an advantage over him; if he lied, Jenny would pay the price. In return for him telling her everything about the Shadow World, and the extent of her powers, she would send Jenny and Julian back to their world. Julian didn't believe her at all, he knew that after she got what she wanted, she would torture Jenny and kill her, and keep him in eternal pain. Jenny's friends.well. They were already dead; she had no use for them in this world.  
  
Julian knew there was a very important reason for why she kept asking him how Jenny had brought him back, and why. He knew both answers; Jenny's love for him and his love for her had strengthened the bonding ceremony with the ring. The mystical powers of the ceremony, and those of the ring had been enough to bring him through the Veil back to her. His amnesia had been an aftereffect of the passing through the Veil. As to why he had been brought back, Jenny's wish for him to be reborn had been such a strong subconscious desire that she had unknowingly wanted his return enough for it to become true. Julian smiled to himself, and his already overwhelming love for Jenny swelled. Starting suddenly from his introspective thoughts, Julian looked at Juliana, who was watching him curiously, the way a cat would to a mouse it had caught. Before eating it, Julian thought grimly.  
  
"I'll help you find your powers," he lied smoothly. "As long as no harm comes to Jenny."  
  
Juliana smiled, and lied glibly, "Of course not. We have a deal then?"  
  
Julian nodded, as he didn't want to shake on it. Who knew what magic spell she may place on him? Juliana nodded pleasantly at him, and walked off down the corridor, beckoning him to follow.  
  
"Firstly," she said in her childlike manner, "show me the most exciting torture methods there are."  
  
Julian looked around, expecting to see an unfortunate troblin waiting to be tortured. Juliana watched him with amusement.  
  
"No, no," she laughed. "On Jenny's friends."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Well please read and review, there are about 2-3 chapters left to go, I'd like to see if anyone can guess the ending, if it's too obvious or not. I'm going to be writing another story soon, a Night World one maybe, or another Forbidden Game one, maybe a spoof, so when it's up, feel free to have a look, see if it's better or worse than this one. 


	7. Part 7 Action and Adventures

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah blah. Juliana and the troblins are the only thing I own, I already said all this, skip this coz it's boring.  
  
Author's Note: I am trying to update more, and keep this story going. I am currently writing my next fanfic; also I am writing an original fic on my account on fiction press. I'll let you know when they are up, but sorry if this is delayed, I can only type so fast (one word a minute probably) lol so I probably should take typing lessons.  
  
Thank you very much for the reviews!!  
  
Paige van den Heever - Thanks so much! That's very kind of you, and I'd like to see what you think of the rest of the story if you want to read on!  
  
Liz - I saved my last chapter on disk because my comp was broken, and that's why I got the strange letters in it, unfortunately. I have gone back and uploaded the chapter again to replace the chapter content, so it should be ok now.  
  
If anyone else has those problems, you know what to do now!  
  
Shadow - Obviously the most devoted reviewer on the planet!! * gives a giant purple troblin to you * Thanks very much for reviewing again =D Would you like to read the sequel(s) to this, too?  
  
For all the reviewers and all you sneaky non-reviewers, here's the next chapter!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter 7 - Action and Adventures  
  
Jenny moved silently through the apparently deserted house towards the tower room, nothing more than a silhouette in the shadowy alcoves. She was barefoot; maybe not so good an idea, thought Jenny ruefully as her toe came into contact with the skirting boards. Biting her lip against the sudden pain, she continued onwards. This house is getting to be more familiar than my own she thought bitterly to herself, and she smiled a grim smile devoid of mirth.  
  
If anyone saw Jenny stalking down the hall, they would have seen a very pretty girl who instead of walking upright and proud, was stealing down the hall with the air of a predator; her honey coloured hair framing her face, making her look like a beautiful warrior princess, almost Amazonian in origin.  
  
Her stealth was rewarded as she reached the tower in relative safety, as no one stopped her and nobody saw her. She opened the tower door carefully, and looked inside the room. Instead of the More Games store she was expecting, the room contained a four-poster bed draped in pastel pink gauze. Relaxing music was drifting around the room lazily from an unseen source, filling Jenny with an inner peace. The whole room was decorated in peachy colours, but as she watched with open-mouthed surprise, the whole room gradually changed colour, to pale turquoise gauze hangings and striking sea green upholstery on the chairs, and deep blue sheets on the bed. As she looked around the room, Jenny was taken aback at how elegant and feminine it was.  
  
She saw a pair of sneakers in the open wardrobe, snug in between boots and high heels. She slipped them on over her bare feet, and looked around the splendour again. There were exquisite tapestries decorating the walls depicting animals in the sea and birds in the sky. Peering closer, Jenny saw the animals were actually swimming, and the birds actually flying. Again, as she stared, the whole room changed colour like a chameleon to warm colours, bright reds and burning oranges. A candle near to Jenny's arm burst into flame, and danced sensually to the soft music. Jenny shook herself out of the daze she had been in, and walked towards the door next to the old grandfather clock. On the door was a familiar poem, and Jenny gasped to see it.  
  
I, slipping on the slime-edged stones  
To that dark place by the rusty foxfire lit,  
Where they lie watching, fingering old bones,  
Go with my question. Deep into the pit  
Of the Black Forest, where the Erlking rules  
And truth is told but always at a cost  
I take my puzzle. Like all the other fools  
Who've slipped on these same stones and played and lost  
I come because I must. I have no choice  
The Game is timeless and.  
  
I leave them waiting down below.  
I hear them laughing as I go.  
  
It was the poem that her grandfather had kept in his study, a poem about the Shadow Men. A lump formed in Jenny's throat, and she swallowed, tears forming in her eyes. Wiping them away impatiently, she reached for the doorknob, and pushed. Closing her eyes, Jenny took a deep breath and jumped out of the doorway, hoping this lead home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Julian kept his face an impassive mask, hoping Juliana would mistake his hesitation for thoughtfulness. She watched him impatiently; her perfect nails drumming against the wall.  
  
"Well?" she asked eagerly.  
  
Julian thought hard of the best way he could give Juliana a game that was cruel enough for her, and not impossible for Jenny's friends to escape from. He shuddered inwardly as he imagined what Juliana would have done to Summer if she failed her nightmare. Julian sighed. Better Summer than Jenny, a nagging voice in his head said. Shocked at himself, but admitting the truth in the comment, Julian put a cruel, taunting expression on his face, turned fully to Juliana and explained the Game.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Dee squinted into the misty darkness surrounding the group. The mist, swirling innocently around them, abruptly began to have a menacing feeling about it, like it was trying to wrap cold silken hands around her neck, to choke out the warmth of life. Dee started. It was unlike her to imagine things like that. She frowned introspectively, her long brown fingers twisting and flexing against the chill. Summer was sleeping uneasily on Zach's shoulder, her petit childlike face marred by a hunted expression. As she writhed and twisted, Zach knew what was causing her trouble, and vowed to protect her against the evils of the Shadow World. Drawing her closer to him, he looked into the fog, thinking of what a good picture it would have made with neon lights shining through it.  
Audrey, her cherry lipstick perfect on her mouth, was snuggled into the depths of her extortionately priced fake fur jacket. Her eyes were glazed over, as though she were somewhere else than the Shadow World. Michael's eyes were worried as he looked at Audrey, and he put his rumpled black coat around her, shivering as he did so. The virtually glacial atmosphere was unnatural; it oozed into every particle, exchanging the warmth with cold using malevolent efficiency. He shivered again and looked down at the wet concrete floor.  
Tom was not cold at all. The chill, which so affected the others, did not touch him, as his anger kept him warm inside. "At least she's got Julian," he remembered Dee saying so clearly. Julian. Not Tom. He knew he probably couldn't do anything against the Shadow People, but he was willing to try.  
  
They're probably free right now, whispered a cruel voice on his head. Right now, Julian's probably kissing Jenny in the Shadow House, snug and warm with not a care in the world.  
  
Tom remembered how willingly Jenny had kissed Julian in the binding ceremony, freely and without doubt. She responded to him in a way she had never done to Tom. Dee was right; she did have Julian. He was going to make sure that Julian didn't have Jenny. He slanted a look sideways at Dee, looking like an Egyptian princess frosted with ice. What she had said had hurt; although everybody knew he was jealous of Julian, there was no need to rub it in by stating basically that Julian was helping Jenny whilst Tom sat on his arse not doing anything. This didn't make him hate her though; in fact, Tom felt a quiet respect for the honesty Dee had shown. The others wouldn't have dreamed to say anything like this to Tom, they feared him too much. Dee, however, feared nobody, and this was refreshing. Just looking at her made his heart beat a little faster, and he imagined what her perfectly sculpted lips would feel like.  
  
WHAT??  
  
He shouldn't be feeling things like that for Dee! Jenny was his girlfriend; he loved her. They had been together for ages. Dee is like a kindred spirit though, said the little voice in his head. She fights; she's athletic; she enjoys the same things that you do, and you can't deny the physical attraction. Anyway, Jenny has Julian. Tom ignored the voice, and looked around for any monsters, but there was nothing at all around them, only the mist, which itself was like a wraith. From the darkness in front of them, they heard a thud, like something landing on the floor, and Tom's stiff muscles ached as he pulled himself to a fighting stance. Dee, her eyes flashing with excitement and nervousness, did the same. A weak cough sounded, and a profanity. Out of the eddying mist walked a pale, angry figure.  
  
Jenny.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Oh SHIT!!!  
  
Jenny was furious as she fell onto the hard tarmac, the wet cigarette butts and toffee wrappers sticking to her jeans and hands. She coughed in the cold air and swore angrily, looking around the familiar scene of Joyland Park; The Shadow World. She sighed, thinking about how clever she had thought she was being. Juliana obviously had all options covered. As she peered into the dense fog, her heart skipped a beat as a shadowy figure prowled closer to her, and she automatically fell into one of the training positions Dee had taught her to defend herself. As the figure came nearer, she saw to her amazement it was Tom.  
  
"Tommy," she cried, throwing her arms around him. After standing stiffly for a moment, Tom hugged her back gingerly, as if afraid she would break. The others, alerted to her presence by Dee, called out to her happily and she walked over to them, brushing the remaining toffee wrappers off her black jeans. Her wrinkled green top actually looked like she'd slept in it, and her hair drifted over it, a windswept mass of gold falling in ruffled waves around her flushed face. They all got up off the bench, huddling around the new arrival to their group. Jenny was more pleased than ever to find that they had come in the Shadow House to rescue her, and Juliana had transported them back to the feeding ground of the Shadow People. Clustering around her, talking loudly, they did not notice Julian and Juliana suddenly appear from the fog. Looking wild and dangerous, they looked like they were advertising a new, intoxicating and exotic perfume or something, Jenny thought as she caught sight of them over Summer's tiny head. Pulling away, she stared at them mutely, and the conversation in the group stopped as if a switch had been flicked off. Everyone stared at Julian and Juliana; Summer with her head on Zach's shoulder showed open fear; Audrey and Michael subdued nervousness; Tom and Dee looked reckless and ready to fight and Jenny exuded quiet determination.  
Juliana grinned at them all through dark lashes, oozing seduction and temptation. Jenny watched her angrily, trying to overcome the impulse to rip out Juliana's hair and feel her fist connect with that god awful cruel grin. Julian lounged near the vacated bench, his hair moving slightly in the small breeze, wafting over his electric eyes and trademark predatorial smirk. He looked just the same as when he has been a Shadow Man, and when he had put them all through the Games, Jenny thought to herself, a little scared. The rest of the group was thinking the same by the looks on their faces. "What do you want, Juliana?" asked Dee boldly, her face wearing an expression that showed she wanted to attack her almost as much as Jenny did. Jenny grinned wryly to herself.  
  
"Want?" asked Juliana, her voice like a sibilant whisper on silk. "I want power, but that isn't the point here. I want.entertainment.right NOW." She smiled evilly at Summer, and she moved a step back and clung harder to Zach's arm, her eyes wide with fear. Zach stepped in front of her, his body shielding her.  
  
"Ah isn't that sweet," said Juliana in a sarcastic, mocking voice. "Quite the knight in shining armour aren't we, Zach?" Zach remained silent, the only sign of anger being the flashes in his narrowed grey eyes.  
  
"I have a Game for you all," she said clearly, her voice drifting off into the thinning mist. "Thanks to Julian," she said slyly, looking at Julian then back at the gang for a reaction. Jenny didn't believe her. Sure, she had seen them kissing, but it wasn't enough to make Julian go over to the Bitch Queen, she knew it. She looked over at Julian and was shocked to see him staring deeply back at her, the hunger back in his eyes.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Julian stared at Jenny, willing her to try and understand in her mind what they were going to have to do. It was a basically a game of Lambs and Monsters, but there were real monsters chasing them. He had simplified the Games he had done, and repeated them to Juliana, hoping she would think that they were exciting enough to do, but she had wanted there to be no way for the poor little lambs to win. He had inserted a loophole, and he tried to make Jenny understand; there would be a way out for them, because Jenny's friend's fates and eventually Jenny's rested on it. When the lambs were captured, they were taken to the Tower Room and locked in. When they were all there, he knew Juliana would be getting more powerful due to the knowledge he was being forced to give her, and she would kill Jenny's friends unless she wanted to keep any of them around to torture, she would definitely torture Jenny until she had every drop of knowledge and power from him and then she would make him watch as she died.  
  
After that, well.  
  
Juliana would either keep him for her own pleasure or entertainment, and then he would probably be given to the other Shadow People for his death or inevitable torture. Julian sighed. He had to tell Jenny somehow that there was a way for them to get away. All they had to do was to find the rune of movement/traveling. (RAIDHO, shaped like a pointy R.) The runes were scattered around the park, and there were only six of Raidho. There were also other runes scattered around, runes like Gebo (for sacrifice), Thurisaz (the thorn) Kenaz (primal fire) etc. The other runes could kill, maim or trap the person touching it, so they had to be very careful. If any of them touched Dagaz (the catalyst) it was irony on his part that they would be transported back to the Tower Room, as it sped up the process of them being caught. Juliana had been so delighted with this wittiness that she had failed to notice the rune Isa (primal ice) which meant that whenever they touched it, he would sense it and would go to help them. That was the theory though.  
  
Julian sighed, and looked across at Jenny, idly fingering the gold band around his finger. This would be a shock to Juliana, but he was getting his powers back the longer he stayed in the Shadow World, and he tried to think of something that he could give Jenny that could help her. That was it!!! The ring! He could write something inside the ring and give it to Jenny on the pretence that it was something to do with the game. He smiled to himself and subtly removed the ring.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny looked into Julian's eyes, and knew he was trying to tell her something important. He was toying with something in his fingers whilst Juliana taunted and mocked their group in between telling them the rules of the new game. She tried to make out what he was holding and realised it with a start that it was her ring; the one he had given to her before. He winked at her, and beckoned her over. Juliana stopped talking and stared. He assumed a coldly arrogant expression and grabbed hold of Jenny's arm, not roughly though. He slid the cool band of metal onto her finger and let go her arm. Juliana and Jenny both stared at him.  
  
"You are now wearing a tracking device," he said quietly, so that only she and Juliana could hear. Juliana clapped her hands and went and put her arms around Julian. He looked very uncomfortable and annoyed to Jenny, but when Juliana looked up at him, his face was a perfectly blank mask. "You're so clever," said Juliana loudly, her arms circling his neck. Jenny turned away. Even though it was obvious Julian wasn't enjoying this, Jenny could still see them kissing in the ballroom and the new scenes were painful to watch. Juliana spun to face Jenny in a lightning-quick movement.  
  
"Yes, yes," she muttered malevolently. "We wouldn't want you to get lost now, would we?"  
  
Jenny smiled back at Juliana in a sarcastic manner, her head held high and her shoulders back.  
  
"I don't think I'll ever get lost here," she said clearly, for everyone to hear. "I've been here way longer than you have, honey."  
  
Juliana looked stunned at this, and then anger began creeping over her face like a storm cloud.  
  
"Fine," she said in a tight voice. "I think that if you know your way around here so well then the Game should begin."  
  
With the last three words, Juliana vanished, and with a fleeting expression of sorrow, so did Julian. Jenny looked around, a little ashamed at plunging the group into the Game so quickly, but open support was on all her friends' faces.  
  
"You stand up to her, girl," said Dee beaming. " I want to kick that Shadow Dudettes...."  
  
A loud crash interrupted Dee in mid-speech, and Michael jumped, his usually happy face worried and drawn. A low, rumbling growl cut through the air, and a ripple of unease surged through them. A low, wrongly pitched voice echoed through the last dregs of the mist. Like in a horror movie, Jenny turned around to find Leo the Paper Eating Lion sat only metres away from where they all stood.  
  
"Heh heh heh," it growled. "Don't feed me paper, feed me flesh. I'm always hungry."  
  
* * * * *  
  
After this extra long chapter, there is only one more chapter to go and then part one of the Forbidden Dance will be complete!!! I am currently drafting out part two, there are going to be three parts as in the books. If you people don't think I should do another part, that this should just be a one-off story, please say, I'm writing other stories as well at the moment, a spoof Forbidden Game and another story on Fiction Press, so if no one is going to want to read the next bit then I'll conserve my time to writing the others. I'm not threatening, I just want to see if the story is good enough for a sequel. If you don't care, still please review, even if you only want to talk about...umm...I dunno, purple troblins or something lol. 


	8. Part 8 Checkmate

Disclaimer: You know it all by now, I don't own Julian (sigh) or anyone else you know from the L J Smith books.  
  
I am very very very very sorry for being so slow, I've been swamped with stuff now, and I've been running out of steam lol. Please forgive me (I'll give you a trobbit....;))  
  
This is going to be a long, long author's note lol; I've put some of it here and the rest (all the reviewers thanks) at the end of the EPILOGUE.  
  
Author's Note (1): The last chapter =O wow it seems only like yesterday I started this story, but I think it's probably months ago (see what drugs can do to you =S) so I want to say thank you very much to everyone who has stuck with me this far, especially Shadow!  
  
I've been mean and left a cliffhanger at the end of this, so you have to read the epilogue afterwards.  
  
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU READ THE EPILOGUE FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Also, I've been a smartarse and researched real runes properly, so everything here about runes is more or less true, unless I've changed the wordings of the meanings slightly for story purposes. Also, this chapter is much longer than all the others, as because I said this would be the last one, I have had to stick to it!  
  
So, eventually, I give you the last part of The Forbidden Dance 1: The Return!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter 8 - Checkmate  
  
All the rides wheezed to life, shuddering and shaking. The eerie sound of the rides moving but with no people on them added to the disturbing atmosphere in the park. Jenny could see the tension beginning to affect everyone.  
  
"Dear God," said Michael, edging unsteadily towards Audrey, who, after remembering the last encounter with Leo the Paper Eating Lion, had backed all the way to the rear of the group. Almost as one, the group looked at each other, and ran towards the nearest ride, the mine ride. Still chuckling in the low, eerie voice, Leo followed, cantering easily.  
  
Watching the lion move closer, Jenny decided what they had to do in a split second.  
  
"If any of us are going to survive, we're going to have to split up!" she called, looking backwards over her shoulder as she ran. "That's basically the point of the Game, right? We have to find a rune each to get back to our safe base. Good luck everybody!" With that, without waiting for an answer, she veered off to the left, running for the haunted house. Looking back quickly, she saw that the group had paired off, Tom and Dee running after her; Summer and Zach still going for the mine ride, and Audrey and Michael heading for the arcade.  
  
Leo the lion looked around and roared, his elongated snout spurting rubbish and other things Jenny didn't want to think about. Turning its grotesque head towards them, it gurgled another laugh and ran after them. Screaming at Tom and Dee to hurry, Jenny waited at the door of the sinister haunted house. As they caught up and went inside, Jenny glanced back at the monstrosity that was lurching after them, and slammed the door shut. There was no bolt on the door, but Leo the Lion did not come ripping through the door after them.  
  
Inside the haunted house it was cool, but compared to the freezing cold depths of outside, it seemed positively boiling. Tom was nosing around the dark entrance hall, and Dee was peering through some moth-eaten and ragged old curtains at the side. Jenny moved slowly towards the ride itself, warily waiting for things to jump out at her. The imitation gas lights fell dispassionately onto Jenny's virtually ruined green blouse, but picked out the lighter tones in her hair, making her look like some kind of cyberangel.  
  
Walking through the creaking door that signaled the start of the ride, Jenny stopped as she saw the slanting deep lines carved into the ebony walls and ceiling, the strange shapes shining with iridescent lights. Jenny moved closer, her movements making no sound on the scuffed, sticky floor. Shimmering crimson and sparking emerald played over her face as she examined the runic letters. Tom and Dee came in behind her, Dee's sneakers sticking to the floor as she walked. Tom whistled through his teeth, and went up to an angular 'M' on the wall. Stretching out his hand towards it, Jenny saw him and gasped, half-shouting at him,  
  
"Don't touch it!!!"  
  
Tom gave her a vaguely disgusted look, shaking his head, and Jenny stepped forward, her heart hammering.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you're not going to touch the runes unless you're sure it's the one we need, Tom, you don't know what Juliana's capable of if she gets her hands on you."  
  
Jenny shuddered and turned away. Tom stared after her moodily, but made no attempt to follow. Dee nudged Tom and mouthed, "Don't be a jerk!" Tom glared sullenly at Dee. What did she know, anyway? She had no problems at all!  
  
Jenny stared at all the letters, and an idea occurred to her. Without telling the others, who were also examining the mystical runes, she looked around the walls for a clue. It would have to be a Julian clue, as Juliana probably wanted them to die, and wouldn't even bother to give them a way out. Julian was sporting, and he would give them a chance, however small. She remembered how he had given her the ring; looking down at it, gleaming innocently on her finger, she eased it off and looked at the inscription inside. It still said, "I am my only master", but the 'i' was glowing the colour of Julian's eyes. Convinced this would help, Jenny frowned at the covered walls. Running her eyes along one of the jet-black walls, she stopped when she found what she'd been looking for. A runic 'i' was glowing softly with a beautiful blue light, one Jenny knew so well.  
  
"I've found a rune that'll help us," Jenny called over to Dee, who in turn nudged Tom again.  
  
"How do you know it'll help?" asked Tom grudgingly. Jenny glanced at him, and said softly, "Trust me."  
  
In truth, Jenny wasn't sure if the rune would help, but it was obviously something she was meant to find. Taking a deep breath, Jenny stretched out her left hand, the one with the ring on, and touched the rune. A blinding white flash ensued, and she remembered vaguely her friends crying out. All went black, and the next thing Jenny knew, she was lying in the moonlit courtyard of the Erlking's castle. A silver rose was lying next to her, and Jenny smiled in remembrance. Sitting up slowly, she had the full benefit of seeing Julian in his ultra sexy Erlking outfit. Shaking her head to clear it from these kinds of thoughts, Jenny spoke, her voice a little breathy.  
  
"Well, well, Julian, I wondered when I'd be seeing you."  
  
She smiled mischievously at him, and he returned the grin in full measure.  
  
"Hello, Jenny," he said, the wolf-hungry look deep in his eyes.  
  
Juliana hadn't changed anything, thought Jenny in wonder.  
  
"I take it you've come for a clue?"  
  
Jenny nodded, a few stray honey wisps of her hair glinting silver in the gentle moonlight. Julian moved closer to her, his movements lithe and graceful. Looking down on her, he whispered to her,  
  
"What about the price for the clue?"  
  
Jenny gazed up into his melting blue eyes and felt her mouth curve into a seductive smile. Before she could reply, however, his lips touched hers, and all the feelings she had forced back when he died came flooding back, almost drowning her in their insistency to escape. The kiss was long and passionate, and Julian was the one who broke it, lifting his head and placing one elegant finger against her lips. His eyes had darkened several shades and his breath was coming more quickly.  
  
"Time for the clue," he said, laughing softly to himself.  
  
He struck a pose like he was a flamboyant herald delivering a message, and said clearly,  
  
"When gates are closed and  
  
Runes are sworn,  
  
Will Kenaz light the way.  
  
Insert the ring,  
  
And cite the sun  
  
To keep evil at bay.  
  
From a to z help will know  
  
One word to link you all;  
  
Hagalaz dwells inside the horse,  
  
Beneath the mighty god of Norse.  
  
Remove the ring, and then beware,  
  
Destructive forces aim to scare.  
  
Walk not between Perth's lovely twins,  
  
And hence with Raidho,  
  
Save your skins."  
  
Jenny stared at him, and he smiled a secret smile, which to Jenny looked like he was smirking.  
  
"Thanks for that," she said teasingly. "Very helpful."  
  
She mock glared at him, but when he arched his eyebrow and gave her an amused glance, she couldn't help breaking into a rueful smile. She looked around the courtyard, and then back at Julian. He was watching her silently, a thoughtful expression on his face. She shifted under his gaze, and walked away from his scrutiny to a gothic door in the corner, almost hidden by the shadows. Julian appeared behind her, making no noise. He held in his hand the silver rose, and he gave it to her, making sure to touch her hand as he did. Jenny continued towards the door, knowing he was watching her every move. Turning back, she locked eyes with him as he stood; his shoulders bent, and saw how much sadness was there. Walking through the door, she wondered why he was so unhappy.  
  
This time, it felt like walking on clouds. White was all around her, soft and warm like a cocoon. Walking through to the grey light at the end seemed almost too much work when she could lie down here and sleep if she wanted to. Then Jenny remembered Tom. The way he had looked at her, with a sort of anger combined with jealousy, and knew she had to go to him. Striving through the soft mass, her eyes feeling leaden, Jenny heard the echo of a feminine laugh as she stumbled through into the haunted house. Tom and Dee stared at her, and relief was written all over their faces.  
  
"Thank God, Jenny!" said Tom, a little angrily. "Where have you BEEN?"  
  
Dee said nothing, but her eyes showed her anxiety.  
  
"I'm fine, guys, really," said Jenny, a bit impatiently. "I have the clue."  
  
"What is it then?" asked Dee, equally impatiently.  
  
Jenny looked at the wall, which had started swimming with the runes, and presently the rhyme Julian had told her was written on the wall in glowing blue script. Tom and Dee read through it, frowns creasing their faces. After he had read it, Tom pulled out a crumpled receipt for something and a biro, and proceeded to copy the rhyme out. Jenny stared at him, surprised at his quick thinking. He felt her eyes on him, but did not look at her. If she wanted to stare at him, let her do that. He wasn't going to sit around whilst Julian got all the credit. He didn't want to see the rose, either. Another gift from HIM, one he, Tom, couldn't match.  
  
"I take it Julian told it to you?" asked Dee quietly, looking over at Tom as he was writing.  
  
Jenny nodded, only half listening, trying to work out the riddle. It made no sense to her at all, and thinking about it only made her head ache. As she mused over the lines, she idly wondered how she was going to figure out the runic references. She couldn't ask Julian, that was for sure, as Juliana was probably watching him, and there was not going to be much help from her. Twirling the rose idly between her fingers, she saw a black symbol on one of the delicate silver petals. It looked like a capital Y with another prong in the middle of the 'v' shape at the top. A word was written in black, intricately inscribed on the threads.  
  
Algiz.  
  
As she read it, Jenny heard a whisper in her head. It sounded very familiar, and she smiled as she heard it. Granpa Evenson, who had studied runes and had given his life for hers in the Shadow World, was aiding her now. The whispering voice was saying "protective sanctuary" over and over again, and Jenny felt herself smiling. Dee looked at her and nudged her.  
  
"Well??" she asked.  
  
Jenny started and looked at Dee, who was peering down at her.  
  
"Umm, pardon?" she said apologetically. Dee's face broke into a grin, and she threw an arm around Jenny.  
  
"I asked, 'Are you listening to anything I've been saying?'" Dee said, laughing.  
  
Jenny started laughing too, and then told Dee about the rune Algiz. She looked over at Tom, and saw he was listening, too.  
  
"So it looks like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle?" he asked, handing his written copy to her.  
  
Jenny showed them both the rose, and saw Tom flinch slightly, but she didn't say anything. Abruptly a loud bang sounded at the door of the ride, and Leo's guttural growls sounded. At the same time, two doors marked with strange runes Jenny didn't know appeared with a crash. The front ride door swung open, and the freakish monster lumbered in. Hidden momentarily by the second door to the actual ride, they looked around desperately for the rune, and, seeing only one in the entire room, Tom and Jenny ran out of the doors in unspoken agreement, leaving Dee to invoke the rune. The doors vanished, and taking a deep breath, Dee shouted "Algiz!" and traced the letter. A blinding orange flash ensued, and she vanished.  
  
When Leo came bursting through the door only seconds later, the room was completely empty.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Juliana was amazed.  
  
Julian had told her he had organized for the people playing to get to Raidho, but Jenny, out of some strange luck, she assumed, had told her friends to choose Algiz. This meant that they would get straight to the gates they had originally come through from the virtual game, instead of being transported to Jenny's room in Juliana's house, and having to pass troblins and the new slaves sent by another Shadow person, called trobbits. Juliana glared at nothing in particular, annoyed that these mere mortals were spoiling her game. She didn't intend to set them free, no matter what she had told that idiot, trusting Julian. They were her bargaining pieces so that he would give her the knowledge she wanted. She smiled to herself, and dreamt of how she was going to torture Jenny and her friends.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Julian was pleased.  
  
He had borrowed the spirit of Jenny's grandfather from the other side, to help Jenny with the runes. None of her friends were remotely well versed enough in runic translations to be able to find their way out without help. He looked over at Juliana. He knew she would be annoyed that Jenny had found the loophole he had created, and he smirked. She wasn't going to have absolute control of him. Anyway, the Raidho clue wasn't for this moment in time, it was for the great finale. He was going to get Jenny out with Raidho, and then he was going to destroy the Bitch Queen. He smiled to himself, and dreamt of how he was going to crush Juliana like a bug.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Tom had come out into Jenny's Shadow room, and he growled angrily. This meant he would have to make his way through the house! He looked around the room first to see if there were any runes he could invoke here. A beautifully crafted mirror was in the corner, the mahogany frame glowing with an inner light. Runes that looked to be set in gold were carved all the way around the mirror. As he moved closer, he could see that the runes weren't set in solid gold, but were made out of what looked like molten gold; the letters swam with the striking colour. Looking closer at the mirror, he remembered what the rhyme had said.  
  
"And hence with Raidho,  
Save your skins."  
  
That settled it, didn't it? He was going to find Raidho, and not mess around with this Algiz thing. Then he would meet up with Jenny. As he reached towards the waiting mirror, he touched the rune that was a pointed 'P' and not the pointed 'R' he thought he was reaching for. With a shout, he disappeared.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jenny had appeared in her grandfather's study, after invoking the letter on her silver rose. Everything was quiet, and the closet that had once contained the Shadow Men was empty, and the rune on the door was Uruz. Looking through the open doors, Jenny gasped as she saw that where the back of it should have been, instead there was a path leading up to two huge golden gates, covered all over with runes. However, where Uruz should have been on the central panel of the gate, there was a scorched mark, and the rune had been destroyed. Juliana's work, no doubt, thought Jenny as she stared at the charred spot. Either side of the gate was a rune Jenny didn't recognise, and it seemed to ooze mystery and seduction. Drawing her eyes from it, she wondered where Tom was. She remembered the stubbornness that had been in his attitude, and hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid.  
  
Walking up to the towering gates, Jenny looked to see if the runes made any sense in the puzzling rhyme now that she had the help of a rune expert.  
  
When gates are closed and / Runes are sworn,  
  
That made no sense to her at the moment, so Jenny ignored it and continued to the next line.  
  
Will Kenaz light the way.  
  
Ah. Kenaz, the torch. This was one she knew, and it was an easy one to invoke, so she would receive light. Feeling pleased, Jenny continued.  
  
Insert the ring/And cite the sun/To keep evil at bay.  
  
Hmmm. A tricky one. Insert the ring? Jenny looked on the gate to see if there was anywhere to slot in Julian's ring. There. She spotted a ring- shaped hole going through the rune Sowolu, which represented the sun. So she had to slot the ring in and invoke Sowolu? It sounded plausible, and Jenny continued with her thoughts.  
  
'To keep evil at bay' probably meant that by invoking the rune, the sun symbol would keep away the Shadow People. It stood to reason that the sun symbol would work, as shadows were destroyed by light, thought Jenny excitedly. It would probably ONLY work on Shadow People, concluded Jenny. That meant that they would still have to be careful when getting away. Her grandfather was confirming all her ideas using the runes, and Jenny felt a wave of affection and love so strong for her grandfather that she was momentarily distracted. Right. The next line.  
  
From a to z help will know/One word to link you all;  
  
Trust Julian to come up with these riddling clues, thought Jenny, amused. She mused over the 'a to z' for a while, her grandfather whispering suggestions to her. There weren't runes from a to z, and anyway, that didn't help much. A helpless feeling overtook her, and Jenny was close to despair. What did it mean??? Jenny frowned, thinking hard.  
  
Unexpectedly, inspiration struck. What if the 'a to z' clue didn't mean words at all, but instead meant a word that began with a and ended in z? Jenny's grandfather began whispering quickly and breathlessly, words tumbling over each other in their urgency to be heard. There were two runes that began with a and ended with z; Algiz and Ansuz. Jenny had already used Algiz to come here, the protective sanctuary, so it had to mean Ansuz. Her grandfather confirmed this; Ansuz was used for messages and communications.  
  
She looked on the doors for a rune shaped like a capital 'F' except with the prongs pointing downwards to the bottom right. Being careful not to confuse it with Fehu, which apparently meant wealth (Michael would love that), Jenny located the rune, and invoked it whilst thinking of Audrey and Michael. She had a peculiar feeling of being split in two; she could still hear and see everything in her grandfather's study, but she was also hearing and seeing everything in the arcade. It took her a moment to figure out where she was, and she realised with a chill that she was in the old fortune-telling wizard's body. It seemed that whoever was controlling this 'game' had a sense of irony. Jenny's grandfather whimpered to Jenny, and she felt such sorrow in her heart that she thought it would burst.  
  
She looked around through the wizard's eyes, and spied Michael and Audrey, kissing on a nearby bench. Trust them to be having a good time when everyone else was busy running for their lives, she thought. She opened her mouth to tell them to cool it off, and instead of words, a white card shot out in front of her, through the little metal flap at the bottom. Audrey and Michael jumped apart, and Michael stared at the card, his face smeared with cherry lip-gloss.  
  
"What is it Aud?" asked Michael fearfully.  
  
Audrey moved closer and picked up the card. "It says 'cool it off, you guys'." She looked into Jenny's eyes and said,  
  
"Is someone there?"  
  
Jenny sighed mentally and said, "It's Jenny, and I have the rune you need."  
  
The white card with her words on went shooting out of the flap, and Audrey picked it up, her eyes wide. Michael went up to her, glaring suspiciously at the wizard's body. Audrey smiled, and waved at Jenny. Michael read the card, and smiled at Jenny too.  
  
"Hey Jenny, which rune is it?" said Michael. Audrey glared and nudged him.  
  
"Where are you're manners? Your social entertaining?"  
  
Michael looked bemused, and Jenny stifled a laugh.  
  
"It's Algiz, shaped like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle," explained Jenny. The cards popped out, and Audrey and Michael read them. "I'm in the sanctuary at the moment, this is where you will arrive."  
  
"We haven't seen anywhere for runes, but the door is locked, so there must be," said Audrey seriously to Jenny. "We don't really want to look in the cabinet."  
  
Jenny remembered the last time she had opened the black cabinet. The heads of PC and Slug had been in there, and she didn't really want to think about that. But this time, thought Jenny, this time, there would be nothing like that in there. She sighed, and spoke again to Audrey.  
  
Look in the cabinet, said the next card Audrey picked up. She looked anxiously at Jenny, and with Michael behind her, advanced slowly on the menacing black doors. Taking a deep breath, she reached out a swung them open. Inside, there were hundreds of shimmering violet runes. Looking for Algiz took some time. When at last they found it, Audrey and Michael linked hands, just as a peculiar scratching came at the door. Not turning back, they reached out their hands and invoked the rune together. A double flash of purple and cerulean light left Jenny with dancing afterimages. The door suddenly splintered and collapsed, and a horrifying THING came in, sniffing the air. It stared straight at Jenny through the glass of the wizard's case, and Jenny felt a wash of revulsion and fear. Pulling herself back to the sanctuary to greet her friends, she didn't see or hear the unearthly howl the creature emitted as it lumbered after the remaining few of Jenny's friends.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Zach and Summer were huddled together in the freezing cold mine ride. After they had entered, the walls had shifted, and now there was no way out. Crimson runes were glittering all around them, but neither Zach nor Summer knew which one to invoke.  
  
Zach thought the runes were interesting; if he had been the 'old' him, he probably would have photographed them, they were the kind of thing he really liked. However, he was the 'new' him.  
  
'Improved and not yet insane,' Zach laughed to himself. Summer was huddling into his jacket, and he felt emotions for her that he hadn't felt for anyone before. Was it love? He 'd seen it in Jenny's eyes earlier. She was astonished to find that he had taken an interest in girls. He smiled dryly. Maybe this was a part of the 'new' him too.  
  
Summer tilted her head up to look at Zach. She liked him, no doubt about it, and she was sure he liked her, too. Maybe when this was all over, they could go for coffee or something. For the past hour or so, he had been talking to her about his childhood with Jenny. There was warmth in his voice, and Summer felt sad that few things in his life today brought out that love. Zach was looking down at her, and a nagging voice in Summer said that it was the obvious time for a kiss. She stretched up towards him, and Zach bent his head, but abruptly the wall nearest to them echoed with a thud like a pickaxe striking it.  
  
They both jumped, and Summer looked wildly around. The thud came again, followed by more at different lengths along the wall. Getting up from the floor, Zach pushed Summer behind him, and backed away from the wall. Summer shrieked, and when Zach spun around, he saw one of the mine figures; the one covered in ants, wielding a nasty looking axe and grinning maniacally at Summer. Zach launched himself at Summer to knock her out of the way, and in doing so took the blow to the back of his head.  
  
"Zach!" screamed Summer, now trapped underneath him. She was amazed he had done that for her, and if she lived through this, she would make it up to him. This didn't seem to be an option though, as the crazy miner moved closer. Summer was screaming properly now as the man came closer, and the wall seemed to be shaking under all the blows from the possessed miners. He raised the axe over his head, and Summer, with the dead weight of Zachary on her, couldn't move. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow, but it didn't come. Peeking out through half-closed eyes, Summer watched the still man with dread, until a voice she knew well came out of his mouth.  
  
"Hey Summer!"  
  
"Jenny!!!" cried Summer, astonished. Am I dead? She wondered to herself.  
  
Jenny grinned. She had managed to locate Summer, and she had stopped her and Zach from getting hurt any more, or so she thought. An awful groaning had begun behind the wall, and Summer turned to look, her eyes wide with fright.  
  
"Summer," said Jenny desperately. She didn't want her to freeze up like a rabbit in headlights again. Last time, Summer would have died except for Julian, and she was willing to bet that Juliana wouldn't be so lenient. "Summer, listen to me. Look for a rune shaped like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle. You'll be safe then."  
  
Summer stared at Jenny, incomprehension written all over her face. "What?" she said, twisting her fingers nervously. "Which one?"  
  
Jenny sighed, and looked around.  
  
"That one, just over by where the ant guy usually is." Jenny pointed, and then looked at her borrowed arm. Oh God, oh God, oh God screamed Jenny silently. If there was one thing worse than bees, it was ants. Here she was, covered in them. She couldn't let Summer see her panicking, or she would freeze. Keeping a calm face, she kept pointing, and Summer went over.  
  
"How do I invoke it?" asked Summer, visibly trembling now.  
  
Jenny was scared. Any moment now, the miners would break through.  
  
"Trace the rune, and say it's name. It's called Algiz."  
  
Ordinarily, Jenny thought to herself distractedly, you would also have to daub it with blood, but all these runes were already coated in blood, every single one. Strange, that. Like someone was expecting them to be here, in this particular cavern. She dismissed it and turned her mind back to Summer.  
  
"Get hold of Zach's arms, I'll get his legs. We have to drag him over to the rune, so you can both get here."  
  
Summer obeyed, getting hold of Zach's arms with a little difficulty. Jenny got his legs, and was horrified to see ants scurrying off her. Trying to get a hold on herself, Jenny helped drag Zach over. With an almighty crash, the wall collapsed, and all the miners came in, tools held high and gloating expressions on their faces. Summer screamed, but kept hold of one of Zach's hands, and invoked the rune with a shaky voice. A gentle pink, closely followed by a crimson red glow bathed the scene for a few moments, then Summer and Zach were gone. The miners shrieked, and glared at Jenny. She sucked in a deep breath, and tried to pull back to the sanctuary. Nothing happened. Slowly panicking, Jenny tried again. Still nothing. A pickaxe scraped her arm, and Jenny felt the blood running down it. Fully concentrating, Jenny tried one more time. A bright gold light flashed as she forced herself to fall into her other body. She felt the momentum continue, until she was lying on something warm and soft. Opening her own eyes again, Jenny looked to see that Michael had broken her fall. Getting up as steadily as possible, she hugged all of the gang, and then frowned.  
  
"Where's Tom?" she asked.  
  
Everyone shook their heads, saying that they hadn't seen him. Jenny was beginning to worry, and she fiddled with a button on her blouse. What had happened to Tom? She asked herself, an icy chill running down her spine.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Tom landed on a very soft mattress, after falling from what appeared to be the ceiling. He looked around warily; who knew what this rune did? He jumped as Juliana, dressed in a sheer white floaty dress that left little to the imagination, and with a runic pendant on, appeared in the room directly opposite him. She looked stunning, and because of the resemblance to Jenny, Tom was having trouble keeping his eyes on her face. He hadn't ever felt this attracted to Jenny, he thought idly. She had that goodness in her, the thing Julian prattled on about, and it was just too much. Tom was beginning to think that he liked BAD girls.  
  
Whoa, whoa, wait a second. Since when had he liked bad girls? Juliana was giving him such a seductive smile at this point, however, that he was having trouble keeping other things in place. He flushed red. Who was she, to play with him like this? That was why he loved Jenny. She never did this to him or any other guys. He looked away from her, examining the room for the first time. From what he could see through the shimmering gauze drape attached to the walls and falling over the bed, the nearest walls were a gentle white, hung with runic decorations and other things Tom didn't know. The ceiling was arched, like in a church, and on the beams shone thousands of candles. A strange triangular board was resting on the mahogany table behind Juliana, next to a beautifully carved lamp, an unseen flame dancing sexily behind the shade, unashamed.  
  
Oh god! Where were these thoughts coming from?  
  
Tom hunched himself up on the large double bed and put his head on his knees, trying not to think about the image of Juliana in that sheer dress. When he raised his head again, Juliana raised her eyebrow and said,  
  
"Are you quite done, then?"  
  
Tom sneaked a glance at the breathtaking Shadow Girl. He mumbled to her.  
  
"What do you want, Jen..Juliana?  
  
Juliana ignored the question, and walked towards the bed. She clicked her fingers, and the whole room changed into a large, spacious stone room, like that of a castle. The small arched window showed a scene where lightning was flashing over a bizarre abstract scene of a girl being sacrificed to some horrible beast. The girl was screaming, and the beast was advancing on her. Juliana clicked her fingers again, and the window vanished. She was now attired in mediaeval clothes, a floor-length gown (probably with a corset), a stunning necklace of precious gems and her hair was semi-loose, curled and styled. She looked amazing, and Tom wondered how she managed to look so much like Jenny and act so differently?  
  
Tom looked down to see what clothes he had been changed into, but was relieved to find that his normal jeans and shirt were the same as always. He looked back up at Juliana, and she spoke again.  
  
"It's not what I want that matters, Tommy, it's what you want."  
  
Oh puh-lease. That was one of the corniest sayings ever! Tom just looked amused, until Juliana continued.  
  
"You hate him, don't you. For taking Jenny away." She studied him, and sat on the bed next to him. He moved to get some distance between them, but she caught hold of his arm.  
  
"I..just..want..Jenny..to..be..happy," he snarled at her. "And if it's with him, then so be it."  
  
"You don't believe that," said Juliana quietly. "I know you don't. You want her back." Tom jerked his arm away from her, and glared at the wall. What business was it of hers, anyway?  
  
Juliana smirked, but when she spoke, her voice was dripping sincerity.  
  
"I can give you whatever you want, Tom," she said, stressing the word 'whatever'. Tom ignored her, and she tried a different tack. "Do you know what rune you were brought here with? Tom grunted, and Juliana took this to mean 'no', and continued.  
  
"It's Wunjo. Bliss and joy from this rune. Bliss and joy. This is the Wunjo chamber, I created it myself." She pointed at a symbol previously hidden on the door. The pointed 'P'. "I meant it when I said I could give you anything you want. I can give you Jenny back."  
  
Tom snorted. Like he'd believe anything SHE said. In truth, he was sorely tempted, but the bad points of the deal outweighed the good, like what Juliana's price would be, what she would do to Jenny, and so many other things that were wrong about it. He looked at Juliana, and said clearly,  
  
"Let me go back now."  
  
Juliana knew she wasn't going to get any further this time, so she nodded, silently wondering how to use the jealousy in Tom to her own ends. She clicked her fingers, and Tom found himself lying on the floor by the runic mirror. He slowly got to his feet, and looked for Algiz, feeling that even if he was right about Raidho, he didn't want to encounter Juliana and her alluring offers again. He found it, and sounding rather breathless, invoked it. A sparkling emerald light filled the room, then Tom was gone.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Tom appeared in the room, everybody jumped, then raised voices were everywhere.  
  
"Where have you been?"  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Tom looked around, and upon seeing Jenny, decided that he was going to keep his meeting with Juliana a secret. He told them all that he had had to find the rune by going over the whole house. Jenny had looked a little suspicious at this point, so he hurriedly turned their attention to the gates.  
  
"Wow! Look at the size of these gates! Do you know which runes we need now?"  
  
Sneaking a glance at Jenny, he noted with satisfaction and guilty relief that Jenny had lost the suspicious look and was explaining some of the lines of the riddle to the others. Tom tuned out and focused idly on the top of the gates, where an intricate hammer had been engraved. Why a hammer? Tom asked himself. That made no sense. Unless...what if it had some significance in the rhyme? He cast his mind back to the puzzling riddle and frowned. Wasn't there something about a 'god of Norse'?  
  
That was probably Thor, didn't he have a hammer? Thought Tom to himself. He said as much to Jenny.  
  
"Yes, that's right!" she said eagerly. "Hagalaz dwells inside the horse, beneath the mighty god of Norse."  
  
Everyone looked up at the hammer and then at the rune directly below it. In the middle of the shape of an angular, silver 'M' was a shimmering 'H'. The letter kept flickering in and out of sight, giving it a magical appearance. A silver ring was emblazoned in the middle of the shimmering letter, and the warning in the rhyme was enough to put anyone off. Jenny broke off what she was saying, and tilted her head at an angle to listen to her grandfather. Tom looked at her strangely, wondering what she was doing, but didn't say anything. Jenny nodded to herself, and spoke loudly to everyone.  
  
"Don't touch any runes unless I tell you to," she said seriously, looking round at all the assembled faces.  
  
Tom frowned. Who made Jenny leader? He thought resentfully. Before, he would have been in charge, and Jenny would have agreed with what he said. That was another change that had happened to her since Julian had kidnapped them. He scowled to himself. Things were changing drastically.  
  
Meanwhile, Jenny had been explaining to the rest of them about how her grandfather was guiding her as a final favour.  
  
"....and so I can probably tell you the good runes from the bad," she finished.  
  
Tom drifted off again, not listening to the rest of them talking and discussing the rhyme. It wasn't like they would be able to leave; Juliana would never let them go. Maybe she would let some of the gang go, if she was feeling generous, but she didn't strike him as a very generous person. Almost as if she had heard his thoughts, Juliana appeared in the room.  
  
All conversation stopped.  
  
As Juliana preened in her all black outfit at the front of the room, Jenny lifted her head proudly. She had figured out the riddle; Juliana couldn't stop them now, not if she was playing fairly. But, she thought, what are the chances of that? She wondered where Julian was, and felt a stab of worry, quickly smothered by the thought that he could definitely take care of himself.  
  
Juliana narrowed her eyes and looked around the room. "Well," she said, sounding contrite and humble, "you've managed to get this far. I'm impressed, although that won't be enough to let you go, you know."  
  
None of them had actually expected Juliana to play fairly, so nobody was shocked when she said this.  
  
"Well you said we could leave when we got to these gates," said Dee defiantly. Juliana smirked and said in an ordinary tone,  
  
"I have a surprise yet, Deirdre, be patient."  
  
Audrey rolled her eyes. "Don't you Shadow People EVER think of anything original to..." she began, but was cut off by an explosion of cerulean light filling the room.  
  
"Surprise!" said Julian smoothly from the opposite side of the room.  
  
Juliana looked angry. He was spoiling her game.  
  
"Julian," she said dangerously. "I don't want you here. Get out."  
  
She made a flicking motion with her fingers as though waving away a fly, and everyone felt the power wash through the room. Julian waved his hand and the power wave she had thrown at him crashed into the wall, shattering countless ornaments and ripping apart books. Juliana's eyes widened. He had become much stronger, but he was no match for her. Now standing on either side of the gates, the Shadow people looked at each other, and then started to mutter under their breath. Julian sent a bright sapphire ball of light towards Juliana, but she deflected it with a shield of violet sparks.  
  
Jenny swore under her breath, and shepherded everyone else back. There was no way Julian was going to win, and she couldn't get the others to safety because that would mean going in between them to get to the gates. She looked desperately round the room. There had to be something. Wait. What was that? A silver rose was on the floor, in front of one of her grandfather's bookcases. In spite of what was going on, Jenny looked closer, the silver rose had to signify something; it was Julian's symbol.  
  
She detached herself from the group and went over for a closer inspection. A pointy 'R' was inscribed on the back of the bookcase, and she knew instantly that it was important - the rhyme itself had said that. Dee and Michael had followed her, and they beckoned the others over. There was nothing she could do for Julian, she knew. Screaming insanely in her heart, Jenny's eyes filled with unshed tears and she wiped them away angrily. Running her fingers along a hairline crack in the bookcase, she smiled grimly, looking back at the warring Shadow People. The last of the rhyme was solved; they could go, thanks to Julian.  
  
'Walk not between Perth's lovely twins/But with Raidho save your skins.' Of course. Julian and Juliana; they were related weren't they? And the lovelier had never been seen, they had a godly beauty about them. So the gates had been a hoax, an elaborate hoax. Probably that was Juliana's surprise she was going to show them. Looking at the faces assembled behind her, Jenny marveled at their apparent willingness to accept her decisions. She felt stronger; both emotionally and mentally. She had other people to look after now, not just herself like before. And unlike Summer, she would not fail them. Making everyone hold hands so they wouldn't lose each other on the way back, Jenny turned to the secret door. Before she did anything, however, her grandfather spoke.  
  
"Goodbye Jenny," he said softly.  
  
Goodbye, Grandad, she though to him. I love you. Then he was gone. She felt no sadness, only happiness that he would be at peace now.  
  
When everyone was near enough, Jenny took a deep breath and invoked Raidho. For a moment, nothing happened, and anxious and desperate, Jenny wondered if she had done something wrong, but her thoughts were interrupted as the world disappeared from around them.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Julian knew the instant Jenny left, and now his whole mind focused on Juliana. Now the bitch was going to pay, for everything she had done to Jenny. She was strong though, and he was slowly weakening. Even though he had regained his powers, they were paling steadily in comparison to Juliana's as she was using his own tricks against him most effectively. Striving for a way to beat her, he thought instantly of the runestave and carving her name out, but he dismissed the thought. The other Shadow Men would never allow anyone to get near it, and he didn't want to weaken his shields. Thinking quickly, he feigned weakness and watched as Juliana fell into the trap, her eyes blazing in wicked triumph. As she gathered her power to throw at him, he quickly invoked Isa, his personal rune, to distract her from what he was really doing. She shattered his sheet of ice, and as shards flew everywhere, Julian struck.  
  
"MANNAZ!" he yelled, tracing the shape with his finger. Juliana screamed, a truly deafening scream, and vanished. Julian, exhausted, had a moment of amusement at the irony of her fate, and then fell to the floor unconscious.  
  
* * * * *  
  
OOOOOOO! It's *FINALLY* the end! Read the epilogue! 


	9. EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE  
  
Jenny came around, stirring slightly. She opened her eyes, and panicked when she saw nothing. She lifted her hands to rub her eyes and felt an obstruction. Pulling it off, she realized it was the virtual reality helmet. Shaking her head in wonder, she looked around the arcade. All the people were playing the games as though nothing had happened. Because it hadn't. Nothing had affected their lives, and they would never know how different HER life was. Looking at her friends, she saw them one by one pull off their helmets, their hands shaking at their complexions white and drained. All but one. As Summer pulled off her helmet, Jenny looked at the person whose helmet was still in place.  
  
"Julian," she said worriedly. "Julian wake up."  
  
In the silence that followed, you could almost hear the instant that Tom's heart irrevocably broke.  
  
Summer, her eyes wide, watched as Jenny moved over to Julian and removed his helmet. His silken hair reflected the strange coloured lights in the arcade, softening them to subtle shades of cyan and jade. His eyes were closed; the serene expression on his face too much for Jenny to bear. He had died for her. Again. She burst into tears, the pain and grief of the entire ordeal coming out against the unfairness of it all. As her tears fell onto Julian's face, he opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. Audrey smiled in spite of herself, but stopped as she saw Tom's face. His expression was terrible to behold. It had a mixture of utter despair, longing and pure and utter hatred. She shivered.  
  
Jenny saw him open his eyes, and it was if her heart stopped. He was alive!!!!!! It was an intensely private moment, and they felt as if there was nobody else in the world with them. As Julian moved closer to her, she closed her eyes and let the confusing muddle of emotions surround her. Happiness, love, joy, a small stab of guilt and a wave of relief so strong that she almost passed out washed over her in a matter of seconds. They were interrupted suddenly by a small cough from Dee. Immediately the feeling of being alone evaporated, and Jenny became only too aware of the curious stares of the other people in the arcade, mixed with the suspicious and grudging looks of her friends.  
  
"Juliana!" she blurted. "Is she.....?"  
  
Julian smiled, and suddenly Jenny's world was alright again.  
  
"No," he said solemnly. " but I imprisoned her when she can do no harm." Jenny sighed, and took hold of his hand.  
  
"Where?" asked Tom abruptly.  
  
Julian looked mildly surprised that Tom was still there, and said offhandedly,  
  
"Well she was always a vain girl, so I incarcerated her in a runic mirror. The two things she loved the most. I sent her there with Mannaz; it means human nature," he said, smiling humorlessly.  
  
Jenny looked at Julian, reassured and incredibly happy. Dee looked at them, and then at Tom, and made a decision.  
  
"Ok people, lets be off," she said, practical as ever. Zach, shepherding Summer in front of him, went first, without a look at either Jenny or Julian. Tom stalked out, his hands in his pockets and looking bleak. Audrey was dragged along by Michael, after watching Julian and Jenny interestedly. Dee winked at them, and went out. Julian stood up, and walked out of the arcade with his arm around Jenny protectively. Before, Jenny would have slid out, but she knew that she loved Julian now. It had always been that way, she reflected, but she had only just accepted it. She saw Tom; his shoulders hunched, and felt momentary sadness, and guilt that she did not love him any more. But she would have to talk it over with him later.  
  
Now she just wanted to go home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
* * * * *  
  
* * * * *  
  
C'est finis!!!!!!!!!  
  
Author's Note (2): Thanks for reading this far everybody!  
  
Shadow - Thank you for reviewing both last chapter and my new story Making Julian! =D I know, it is strange, but then again so am I, so that's not really that big a surprise lol. I totally agree, the way forward is with the troblins, don't tell Alex though lol!  
  
Alex - I love the ending you did! *mutters angrily* I would have copied and pasted it from the reviews page and then I saw you copyrighted it! There's no way you are going to get a purple troblin now, I've decided. I love the trobbit thing you got going there; troblins and hobbits are alike, aren't they? Anyway, you can't have my troblins, *clutches them and hides them from Alex*  
  
They're MINE, all MINE!  
  
*cough* MINE *cough *. Ta very much for reviewing three times! That's extremely appreciated, I love reviews! What do you mean I'm even more American??? I have a very annoying spellchecker, it's set on American spellings, I had hell trying to convince it that it was colour and not color lol, and as for trying to tell it that it is Summer and not summer, don't go there, I'm fighting a losing battle! As for what you need your fingers for, you can't write my reviews without fingers now can you??? Anyway, I want to see if I can hold your attention for another week with the sequel lol!  
  
Janie - Thank you so much! That's very kind of you, and I would like a career in writing (but I prefer writing fan fictions lol). I hope you like this chapter, and when the second part is up, please take a look and tell me what you think!  
  
Me - Thank you very much for the review, check out this chapter, see what you think!  
  
Medusa Descoudres - This is the last chapter, so thank you very much for the encouragement, I'm on with chapter 1 of the next story, The Revenge, and I hope you'll like that one, too! Also, I like your name, are you a Nightworld member? If so, my name on it is Anita Descoudres, they wouldn't let me have Blake. * grumbles some more *.  
  
Arella1 - I love Julian too! (Doesn't everyone???), I've already put about the second one, lots of steamy Julian scenes in the next story as well (hint hint ;)) and the rating might move up a bit higher lol. Keep checking for the Julian bits. ;)  
  
Thade182 - Thank you very much * winks * I take it we think alike?  
  
Jar of Pills - Cool name!!!! Thank you for reviewing, it made my day * dances wildly * .  
  
Ok so I'm a nutter. You knew that anyway :D!  
  
The next story is going to be called The Forbidden Dance 2: The Revenge, for anybody who is interested, I'm getting started on it now (eventually), and the first chapter should be up some time soon, and it follows on from this story. The gang have gone on the holiday that Michael won =D, and not everything is what it seems...  
  
That's the summary for now, you'll have to wait until I think of more stuff and I post the first chapter!  
  
Thank you, everyone who has read this far into my story. I could not ask for any more.  
  
No wait, I could...  
  
Will you review??????????????  
  
(Just kidding, thanks for reading ;)) 


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